Antimicrobial effect of cruciferous vegetables

ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECT OF EXTRACTS OF

CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES
Shu-Hui Hu, Jinn-Chyi Wang,1 Hsien-Feng Kung,1 Jih-Terng Wang,1
2 3
Wei-Lun Lee, and Yi-Hsin Yang
3
Departments of Technology for Medical Science and Dental Hygiene, Kaohsiung
1
Medical University, Kaohsiung, and Departments of Food Science and Technology and
2
Environmental Engineering and Sanitation, Tajen Institute of Technology,
Pingtung, Taiwan.

The cruciferous vegetables cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Chinese radish, Chinese kale, and Chinese kitam
were used in this study to prepare water-soluble and methanol-water extracts. Crude protein extracts were
also obtained by diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) anion exchange chromatography. Water-soluble
polysaccharides were prepared by ethanol precipitation followed by ultrafiltration. The antimicrobial
effects of all these extracts were evaluated against Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and
yeast. Crude protein extracts exhibited the greatest antimicrobial activity in monoculture experiments.
The antimicrobial effects of cruciferous vegetables were also studied by steeping beef, carrot, and celery
in chlorine (10 ppm) or citric acid solution (1%) containing the crude protein extract (500 ppm) for different
time periods. Total aerobic plate counts and coliform counts on these foods decreased significantly after
10 minutes in all steeping solutions (p < 0.05).

Key Words: cruciferous, extracts, crude protein, water-soluble polysaccharide,

antimicrobial effect
(Kaohsiung J Med Sci 2004;20:591–9)

Many plants and vegetables contain compounds with
antimicrobial activity. For example, shepherin (a peptide)
in the root of shepherd’s purse inhibits Gram-negative
bacteria and fungi [1]. Steroid and non-methylated fatty
acids extracted from Diplotaxis harra Forsle inhibit fungi,
yeast, and Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria [2].
An isothiocyanate (6-methyl sulfinylhexyl isothiocyanate)
in Japanese horseradish may inhibit aggregation of human
platelets [3]. Some spices and herbs inhibit the growth of
Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri [4].
Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage,
mustard, Chinese cabbage, carrot, Chinese kale, and turnip
Received: August 27, 2004 Accepted: December 2, 2004
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Dr. Jinn-Chyi
Wang, Department of Food Science and Technology, Tajen Institute
of Technology, 20 Wei-Shin Road, Shin-Erh Village, Yen-Pu Shiang,
Ping Tung 90703, Taiwan.
E-mail: jicy.wang@msa.hinet.net
are edible plants that are low in calories, high in fiber, rich
in vitamins and minerals, and have physiologic effects in
humans [5,6]. Some important enzymes such as chitin-
ase, glutathione transferase, and epoxide hydrolase are
also found in cruciferous vegetables [7,8]. Indole and
isothiocyanate, enzymatic products of myrosinase from
glucosinolate found in cauliflower and cabbage, lower the
incidence of tumor formation and have an antioxidative
effect [9]. There are also antifungal components such as
iprodione [10], chitosan [11–13], and a peptide [14] in
cruciferous vegetables.
The aim of this research was to study the antimicrobial
activities of cruciferous vegetables. Various components
from crucifers, such as those in water extracts, methanol-
water extracts, and crude protein extracts (CPEs) and water-
soluble polysaccharides (WSPS), were prepared and tested
for their ability to inhibit microorganisms associated with
food spoilage and illness. The results of these analyses
could be useful in selecting some of these extracts as natural

Kaohsiung J Med Sci December 2004 • Vol 20 • No 12 591

© 2004 Elsevier. All rights reserved.
S.H. Hu, J.C. Wang, H.F. Kung, et al
disinfectants in food preparation. To further understand
the practical applications of these extracts, their antimicrobial
effects on the surfaces of foods were also studied.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Microorganisms
The following microorganisms were used in this study:
Bacillus cereus CCRC 14665 (Culture Collection and Research
Center, Taiwan), Bacillus subtilis CCRC 14199, Enterobacter
aerogenes CCRC 10370, Escherichia coli CCRC 11634, Listeria
monocytogenes CCRC 14845, Proteus vulgaris CCRC 12153,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa CCRC 10773, Pseudomonas fluorescens
CCRC 13902, Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium
CCRC 12497, S. sonnei CCRC 10773, Streptococcus faecalis
CCRC 10066, Staphylococcus aureus CCRC 11863, and Candida
albicans CCRC 21538. Bacteria were cultured in nutrient
broth (Difco, Sparks, MD, USA) at 37°C for 18 hours. Yeasts
were cultured in Sabouraud medium (Difco) at 28°C for 40
hours.
Vegetable preparation
Six different kinds of fresh cruciferous vegetables including
cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. italica), broccoli (B. oleracea
var. botrytis), cabbage (B. oleracea var. capitata), Chinese
radish (Raphanus sativus), Chinese kale (B. oleracea var.
alboglabra), and Chinese kitam (Brassica rapal) were
purchased from a local market in Ping Tung, Taiwan.
After rinsing in running tap water, the vegetables were
freeze-dried (600 g, dry weight) and then macerated in
methanol (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) overnight. The
methanol extracts were filtered and concentrated under
vacuum. The residue was extracted with boiling distilled
water (1:10 wt/vol) for 15 minutes and then centrifuged
(4,000g) for 10 minutes. The supernatant obtained was
lyophilized to provide a methanol-water extract.
Water extracts and CPEs were obtained by blending
lyophilized vegetables in distilled water (1:10 wt/vol) in a
blender (Osterizer, Sunbeam Products Inc, Boca Raton,
FL, USA). The homogenate was maintained at 20°C for 10
hours and filtered through filter paper (Whatman No. 1,
Whatman plc, Brentford, Middlesex, UK). Part of the fil-
trate was lyophilized to give the water extract. The re-
mainder was subjected to ammonium sulfate precipita-
tion. Ammonium sulfate was added to the filtrate to a
final concentration of 50% and the precipitate collected
by centrifugation at 12,400g at 4°C for 15 minutes. The
precipitate was dissolved in 0.02 M Tris-HCl (pH 8.2) and
592
applied to a diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-Sepharose (Am-
ersham Pharmacia Biotech AB, Uppsala, Sweden) anion-
exchange column (40 cm × 3 cm). The column was washed
stepwise with 0.02 M Tris-HCl (pH 8.2) solution containing
0.1, 0.3, and 0.8 M NaCl, respectively. The eluate with the
highest protein content was collected, dialyzed overnight
at 4°C and then lyophilized. The lyophilized sample was
designated the CPE [15]. Protein content was determined
by the Bradford assay [16].
WSPS were prepared by adding distilled water
(1:10 wt/vol) to the vegetables and heating at 60°C for 20
minutes, then filtering through Whatman No. 1 filter pa-
per. Ethyl alcohol (95%) was added to the filtrate, followed
by 75% alcohol to precipitate polysaccharides [17]. The
precipitate was collected by centrifugation and dissolved
in distilled water and filtered (Militan system, ELO 04;
Millipore Co, Billerica, MA, USA) to collect the components
with molecular weight below 105 Da. These components
were concentrated by lyophilization and then redissolved
in deionized water (pH 7.0). The content of the WSPS was
determined using the phenol-sulfuric acid method [18].
Antimicrobial activity of cruciferous vegetables
A preliminary disk diffusion test was used to investigate
the antimicrobial activities of the vegetable preparations
[19,20]. To determine antibacterial activity, melted medium
(45°C, nutrient agar for bacteria, Sabouraud medium for
6
yeast) containing 10 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL was
poured onto solidified medium on a plate. The solidified
medium was plate count agar (Difco) for bacteria and YM
agar (Difco) for yeast. A paper disk (Adventec, Toyo Roshi
Kaisha Ltd, Tokyo, Japan), 8 mm in diameter and 0.85 mm
thick, containing 30 µL of sample solution (0.5 µg/µL) was
placed in the center of the plate after the top agar had
solidified. Bacterial plates were incubated at 37°C for
14 hours while yeast plates were incubated at 28°C for 24
hours [21]. The antimicrobial activity was assessed by the
diameter (mm) of the inhibition zones, measured using
calipers.
Combined effect of CPE and other chemicals on
foods
Simulated foods including fresh beef (8 × 8 × 0.8 cm), celery
and carrot (5 × 1.5 × 0.5 cm) dices were individually steeped
in 100 mL solution at a final concentration of 500 ppm CPE
from cabbage alone or with either 1% citric acid or 10 ppm
chlorine. The steeped solutions were incubated at 20°C for
5, 10, or 30 minutes.
After steeping, the foods were placed into 100 mL of
Kaohsiung J Med Sci December 2004 • Vol 20 • No 12

0.1 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) and homogen-
ized with a stomacher (Type BA 7021, Seward Medical,
London, UK) for 1 minute. The homogenates were col-
lected and total aerobic plate counts (TPC) and coliform
counts were measured using Petrifilm [22,23]. The anti-
microbial effect was expressed in terms of lethality,
defined as the logarithmic ratio of microbial counts before
and after treatment [24].
Statistical analysis
All treatments were conducted in three samples and
duplicate tests were run for each treatment. Data from each
treatment underwent analysis of variance. Duncan’s
multiple range test was used to determine significant
difference (p < 0.05) between treatments.
RESULTS
Antimicrobial effect of extracts
The antimicrobial effects of the four extracts of cruciferous
vegetables are shown in the Table. Water extracts from
cabbage had the highest antimicrobial activity, especially
against Gram-negative bacteria, and of all bacteria examined,
E. aerogenes was the most inhibited by cabbage extracts.
Water extracts from all six kinds of cruciferous vegetables
also inhibited C. albicans, the only fungus used in this
experiment. The inhibition of C. albicans by the six water
extracts was greater than that of B. cereus and B. subtilis, but
lower than that of other Gram-positive bacteria. None of the
water extracts was able to inhibit P. vulgaris.
Methanol-water extracts of cabbage, Chinese kale, and
Chinese kitam had antimicrobial effects against two species
of Pseudomonas. Only the cabbage methanol-water extract
inhibited the two Bacillus spp. Methanol-water extracts of
broccoli, Chinese kale, and Chinese kitam exhibited greater
inhibition of C. albicans than did their water-based
counterparts.
WSPS from all six kinds of cruciferous vegetables had
greater inhibitory effects against Gram-negative bacteria,
especially E. coli and Salmonella enterica serotype
Typhimurium, than against Gram-positive bacteria.
Cabbage WSPS had greater effects against the two Gram-
positive cocci than against Bacillus spp. (p < 0.05). The
inhibition of S. sonnei by WSPS from Chinese radish was
not significantly different from that by WSPS from Chi-
nese kale (p > 0.05).
CPEs from cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and Chinese
kitam inhibited P. vulgaris, although water and methanol-
Kaohsiung J Med Sci December 2004 • Vol 20 • No 12
Antimicrobial effect of cruciferous vegetables
water extracts from these vegetables did not. All CPEs
exhibited significantly greater antimicrobial effects against
S. sonnei than water extracts (p < 0.05). CPEs had greater
inhibitory effects against Gram-negative bacteria than
against Gram-positive bacteria, as shown by the signifi-
cantly larger inhibition zones observed in all four Gram-
negative cultures with CPEs, including E. aerogenes, E. coli,
S. enterica serotype Typhimurium and S. sonnei, than in
Gram-positive cultures (p < 0.05).
Combined effect of CPE from cabbage and other
chemicals on foods
Both TPC and coliform counts on foods were greatly reduced
by steeping longer in CPE (Figures 1 and 2). There were
significant differences in lethality between 5 and 10 minutes’
steeping in CPE (p < 0.05), but there were no significant
differences in lethality between 10 and 30 minutes’ steeping
in CPE (p > 0.05). Among all tested samples, lethality, in
terms of coliform counts and TPC, was greatest when carrot
was steeped in CPE alone. The lethality for the same kind of
foodstuff in the triplicate experiments (data not shown) did
not differ significantly (p > 0.05) at the same time point.
DISCUSSION
Antimicrobial effect of extracts
Many plants are rich in water-soluble compounds, such as
tannins, terpenoids, alkaloids, and flavonoids, which have
been shown in vitro to have antimicrobial properties [25]. Of
all the water extracts from cruciferous vegetables tested in
this study, water extracts from cabbage had the highest
antimicrobial activity, especially against Gram-negative
bacteria. Water extracts from the vegetables tested in this
study showed the greatest inhibitory effect against E.
aerogenes among all of the tested microorganisms.
The methanol-water extracts of cruciferous vegetables
also demonstrated antimicrobial effects in this study, al-
though they were significantly lower than the antimicrobial
effects of the water extracts. Results from previous studies
have also shown that some analogous methanolic and water-
soluble compounds in mushroom and many other plants
have antimicrobial effects [26,27].
Antimicrobial effects of WSPS from the six kinds of
cruciferous vegetables were lower than those of the water
extracts, but higher than those of methanol-water extracts.
CPEs from the six different kinds of cruciferous vegetables,
especially cabbage, showed greater inhibitory effects than
those of other extracts, except for water extracts from Chinese
593
594
Table. Antimicrobial effect of extracts of cruciferous vegetables*

Water extract Methanol-water extract Water-soluble polysaccharide Crude protein extract

Tested microorganisms
CF BC CB CR CK CT CF BC CB CR CK CT CF BC CB CR CK CT CF BC CB CR CK CT

Gram-positive
Bacillus cereus 11.1 11.0 12.6 10.5 — 9.6 — — 10.2 — 9.5 9.9 11.1 12.2 11.1 12.1 11.4 11.1 14.3 14.0 16.2 12.6 11.9 12.9
D E FG D D CDE DE DE C CD D CD C D CD C DE EF F DE
S.H. Hu, J.C. Wang, H.F. Kung, et al

Bacillus subtilis — 9.2 11.5 9.3 — 9.5 — — 9.6 — 8.9 9.4 — 11.3 11.0 12.0 — 10.9 11.0 12.4 14.3 12.2 — 12.5
F G D D E E E D D CD D E CD E F DE
Streptococcus faecalis 11.5 12.3 13.5 — 9.6 9.6 10.0 10.7 10.3 10.1 10.5 10.6 12.9 14.1 15.0 — 11.8 12.1 16.2 17.4 20.6 17.9 14.0 16.4
D CDE EF E D C BC CDE BC BCD CDE B B C C D BC B BC C E C
Staphylococcus aureus 14.4 15.6 16.2 16.0 15.2 15.7 9.7 10.4 11.5 10.0 10.9 11.1 13.3 14.1 15.3 — — — 17.3 18.0 22.4 20.4 19.1 19.8
C B CD B C B CD CD ABC BC ABC BCD B B C B B B B C B
Listeria monocytogenes 11.3 12.0 13.1 9.7 10.6 10.9 9.1 9.5 11.3 9.2 9.1 10.7 10.4 10.6 11.8 — — — 13.8 14.2 16.5 12.0 12.4 12.2
D DE EFG D E D D D ABCD C E CDE C D D D C DE F EF DE
Gram-negative
Proteus vulgaris — — — — — — — — — — — — — 11.3 11.3 — — 11.5 10.6 11.2 11.2 — — 10.8
D D D E D F E
Pseudomonas aeruginosa 11.2 13.1 15.8 12.5 14.2 15.1 — — 10.0 — 10.6 10.6 — — 12.3 11.2 11.1 11.6 16.1 17.4 20.1 15.1 16.5 17.4
D CD CD C CD BC DE BCD CDE D D C D BC B BC D D C
Pseudomonas fluorescens 9.7 13.7 14.9 12.2 13.1 14.2 — — 10.5 — 9.8 10.0 — — 12.5 11.7 11.1 12.1 13.1 14.2 18.2 12.1 12.4 13.1
E C DE C D C BCDE CDE DE D CD C D D C CD F EF D
Enterobacter aerogenes 20.5 20.7 21.9 19.3 18.9 18.9 10.2 11.6 12.2 10.7 11.6 12.5 13.5 13.1 15.8 13.1 11.8 12.3 23.0 25.1 25.2 24.0 22.7 23.2
A A AB A A A BC AB A AB AB AB B BC BC C C D A A A A A A
Escherichia coli 19.1 19.5 20.2 18.2 17.3 18.6 11.2 11.7 11.7 10.0 10.5 12.6 17.0 17.7 20.0 19.1 18.1 19.2 23.2 25.3 26.6 21.2 20.4 21.7
B A B A B A A AB AB BC BCD A A A A A A A A A A B BC AB
Salmonella serovar 18.3 19.8 20.4 18.0 17.1 18.6 11.2 11.8 12.5 11.2 12.0 12.2 17.3 17.5 20.3 18.0 17.4 17.7 24.7 25.5 27.4 24.2 21.7 23.1
Typhimurium B A B A B A A A A A A AB A A A AB A B A A A A AB A
Shigella sonnei 18.2 20.2 22.6 — — 15.7 — — 9.6 — 9.1 10.2 15.9 16.8 17.5 17.2 14.9 14.2 25.1 26.5 27.5 21.3 21.2 22.9
B A A B E E DE A A B B B C A A A B AB A
Yeast
Candida albicans 11.2 11.6 16.8 12.5 10.3 10.9 11.0 12.2 12.4 11.2 10.6 11.8 11.2 10.6 11.7 11.1 11.3 11.5 14.5 14.9 18.1 14.4 12.4 13.6
D DE C C E D AB A A A BCD ABC C D D D C D CD C CD DE EF D
*Inhibition zone in mm (including 8 mm disk) as the mean of triplicate of experiments.
Capital letters A–G: within the same column, values denoted by different capital letters are significantly different at p < 0.05.
CF = cauliflower; BC = broccoli; CB = cabbage; CR = Chinese radish; CK = Chinese kale; CT = Chinese kitam; — = no inhibitory activity.

Kaohsiung J Med Sci December 2004 • Vol 20 • No 12

 Antimicrobial effect of cruciferous vegetables

Total aerobic plate count Coliform

1.2 Beef 1.2 Beef

1.1 ◆ 1.1 ◆
CPE and citric acid CPE and citric acid
1.0 ▲ citric acid 1.0 ▲ citric acid
■ CPE ■ CPE
0.9 0.9 ◆
Lethality

Lethality
■
0.8 0.8 ■
◆
◆ ◆
■ ■
0.7 ◆ 0.7
■ ▲
▲
0.6 ◆ 0.6
■ ▲ ▲
0.5 ▲ 0.5
▲
0.4 0.4

1.2 Carrot 1.2 Carrot ◆

1.1 1.1
◆ ■
1.0 1.0
■
◆ ◆
0.9 0.9
■ ■
Lethality

Lethality

◆
0.8 0.8 ▲
■
▲
0.7 0.7
◆ ▲
■ ▲
0.6 ▲ 0.6
▲
0.5 0.5

0.4 0.4

1.2 Celery 1.2 Celery

1.1 1.1
■
1.0 1.0 ◆
■
◆
0.9 0.9
Lethality

Lethality

◆ ◆
■
0.8 ■ 0.8
▲
◆
0.7 ■ 0.7 ▲
◆ ▲
0.6 ■ ▲
0.6
▲
0.5 ▲ 0.5

0.4 0.4
5 10 30 5 10 30
Steeping time (min) Steeping time (min)

Figure 1. Combined effect of crude protein extract (CPE) and citric acid on handling foods. Beef, carrot, and celery were steeped in a final
concentration of 500 ppm CPE in the presence of 1% citric acid for 5, 10, or 30 minutes. The data are represented in terms of lethality, defined as
the logarithmic ratio of microbial counts before and after treatment.

Kaohsiung J Med Sci December 2004 • Vol 20 • No 12 595

S.H. Hu, J.C. Wang, H.F. Kung, et al

Total aerobic plate count Coliform

1.4 1.4
Beef Beef
1.3 1.3
1.2 ◆ 1.2 ◆
CPE and chlorine CPE and chlorine
1.1 ▲ chlorine 1.1 ▲ chlorine
■ CPE ■ CPE
1.0 1.0

Lethality
◆
0.9 0.9 ◆
◆ ■
◆ ■
Lethality

0.8 ◆ 0.8
◆
0.7 ■ 0.7 ■
▲
■ ▲
0.6 ▲ 0.6 ▲
■
0.5 ▲ 0.5
▲
0.4 0.4

1.4 1.4
Carrot Carrot
1.3 1.3 ◆
1.2 1.2
◆
1.1 1.1
◆
■
1.0 1.0
Lethality

Lethality

◆
◆ ■
0.9 ◆ 0.9
■ ■ ▲
0.8 0.8
■ ▲
▲
0.7 0.7 ▲
■ ▲
0.6 0.6
▲
0.5 0.5

0.4 0.4

1.4 1.4
Celery Celery
1.3 1.3
1.2 1.2
◆
1.1 1.1
◆
1.0 1.0
◆ ■
Lethality
Lethality

0.9
◆
0.9 ◆ ■

0.8
◆
0.8 ■
■
0.7 ■ 0.7 ▲
▲ ▲
0.6 ■ ▲ 0.6
▲
0.5 ▲ 0.5

0.4 0.4
5 10 30 5 10 30
Steeping time (min) Steeping time (min)

Figure 2. Combined effect of crude protein extract (CPE) and chlorine on handling foods. Beef, carrot, and celery were steeped in a final concentration
of 500 ppm CPE in the presence of 10 ppm chlorine for 5, 10, or 30 minutes. The data are represented in terms of lethality, defined as the logarithmic
ratio of microbial counts before and after treatment.

596 Kaohsiung J Med Sci December 2004 • Vol 20 • No 12


radish, Chinese kale, and Chinese kitam against P. fluorescens.
Proteins or peptides isolated from various bioresources
have previously been reported to have antimicrobial effects
[14,25,28]. The antimicrobial activities of proteins may be
associated with their three-dimensional structures [29].
Our results showed that CPEs from cruciferous vegetables
have greater antimicrobial effects than those of other extracts.
The mechanisms involved in these greater antimicrobial
effects of CPEs are worthy of further investigation.
Combined effect of CPE from cabbage and other
chemicals on foods
Generally, salad vegetables and meats are cleaned by
steeping these foodstuffs in water for a short period of time
(e.g. 5 minutes). Preliminary tests conducted in this study
indicated that steeping carrot, celery, and beef in water for
5 minutes only resulted in a decrease in viable coliform
counts of 21%, 22%, and 27%, and in TPC of 42%, 38%, and
24% on carrot, celery, and beef, respectively. In order to
improve the efficiency of disinfection, the steeping water
was supplemented with CPE from cabbage alone and
selective combinations of CPE with citric acid or chlorine.
The antimicrobial effect of combined chemicals is much
greater than that with one chemical alone [24]. Francis and
O’Beime found that treating ready-to-use vegetables with
various reagents such as chlorine, citric acid, and ascorbic
acid helped to reduce the counts of both Listeria innocua and
E. coli on vegetables [30]. Some plant extracts have also been
used to treat livestock disease in South Africa [31]. The
shelf-life of guava juice can be extended by adding combined
extracts of corni fructus, cinnamon, and Chinese chive [21].
In this study, the lethality of citric acid and CPE with beef
was slightly greater than that of CPE alone with beef after
the same duration of treatment (Figure 1). This means that
citric acid does not increase the lethality of CPE. Similar
results were obtained for carrot and celery. The combination
of CPE and chlorine had the greatest lethality, in terms of
coliform counts and TPC, followed by CPE alone and
chlorine alone (Figure 2). This means that chlorine enhances
the lethality of CPE, especially in terms of TPC. The
antimicrobial effect of citric acid might be related to its
acidity, while that of chlorine might be related to its
ability to denature protein [24]. These results indicate the
feasibility of using CPE for food treatment.
Direct application of CPE or water extracts to food is
recommended for sanitizing purposes. Pure active anti-
microbial compounds isolated from food products have
been recommended as food preservatives and for use in
antiseptic processes [14]. The combination of vanillin,
Kaohsiung J Med Sci December 2004 • Vol 20 • No 12
Antimicrobial effect of cruciferous vegetables
ascorbic acid, and adjustment of water activity may be
promising for natural strawberry preservation [32].
Bagamboula et al also reported that various combinations
of low temperature, pH, and sodium chloride inhibited
Shigella spp. [4]. These naturally occurring, active anti-
microbial compounds may help to alleviate the pressures
associated with long-term use of antimicrobial chemicals,
such as the emergence of drug-resistant strains [33,34], and
they can be used in combination with physical treatments
such as pH, temperature control, and regulation of water
activity in the food manufacturing process to extend the
shelf-life of food products [35].
CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated that different extracts from
cruciferous vegetables have different degrees of antimi-
crobial activity. Four different extracts from each of the
six cruciferous vegetables exhibited greater inhibitory ef-
fects against Gram-negative bacteria than against Gram-
positive bacteria. CPEs exhibited the greatest antimicrobial
effects compared with other extracts. Both TPC and coliform
counts on the surfaces of beef, carrot, and celery decreased
significantly after steeping in CPE. This hints at the possibility
that naturally occurring compounds can be used as food
preservatives and might be applicable in antiseptic processes.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We thank the Tajen Institute of Technology for financial
assistance of this work.
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